--- title: "Annual Conference of the Association for Canadian" description: "48th Annual Conference of the Association for Canadian Studies in German‑speaking Countries is a professional conference in Berlin, Germany, Feb 24–26,…" url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/conferences/professional/48th-annual-conference-of-the-association-for-canadian-studies-in-germanspeaking-countries-2027" --- # 48th Annual Conference of the Association for Canadian Studies in German‑speaking Countries Feb 24–26, 2027[Berlin, Germany](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1\&query=Berlin%2C%20Germany)In-person [Registration open](http://www.kanada-studien.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GKS-2027-CfP-eng-extended.pdf) The 48th Annual Conference of the Association for Canadian Studies in German-speaking Countries convenes in Berlin, Germany. This academic gathering serves as a significant forum for scholars, researchers, and students to delve into various facets of Canadian studies, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and presenting new research. The conference is a key event for those interested in the cultural, social, political, and economic landscapes of Canada, particularly from a European perspective. ## Committees & topics - Topics Canada in International Relations and Geopolitics · Internal Dynamics, Governance, and Political Debates in Canada · History, Memory, and Identity in Canada · Cultures, Literatures, Media, and Social Imaginaries of Canada ## Why it matters This conference is crucial for advancing the understanding of CAN beyond its immediate geographical and political spheres. By bringing together academics in DEU, it highlights the enduring scholarly interest in CAN's unique societal structures, multiculturalism, and its role on the global stage. Such events contribute to a nuanced international discourse, moving beyond superficial perceptions to explore the complexities of a nation often viewed through a singular lens. Furthermore, the conference provides an important platform for academic exchange between DEU and CAN. This intellectual bridge can lead to collaborative research projects, student exchanges, and a deeper appreciation of shared values and divergent experiences. For policymakers and diplomats, understanding these academic dialogues can offer insights into how CAN is perceived and analyzed internationally, which is vital for crafting effective public diplomacy and international relations strategies. ## How to prepare For participants, thorough preparation involves not only mastering their specific research topics but also understanding the broader context of Canadian-German academic relations. Familiarity with previous conference themes and publications by the Association for Canadian Studies in German-speaking Countries can provide valuable insights into prevailing research trends and methodologies. This preparation is essential for engaging in meaningful discussions and contributing to the collective knowledge base. Diplomats and government officials interested in the event should consider the themes presented through the lens of public diplomacy and cultural exchange. Identifying key scholars and emerging research areas can inform future bilateral initiatives and educational programs between CAN and DEU. Understanding the academic discourse around CAN's identity, policies, and societal challenges, particularly as interpreted by international scholars, is critical for effective \engagement strategies\ and for identifying \[hidden stakeholders](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/lessons/hidden-stakeholders)\ in international relations. ## Country perspectives Where the most-relevant 2 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile. [Canada](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/canada) [A subject of extensive academic inquiry, particularly concerning its multiculturalism, indigenous issues, and international relations.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/canada) [Role in topic](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/canada) [CAN is the primary focus of the conference, with scholars from DEU and other regions presenting research on its history, culture, politics, and society. The conference serves to deepen international understanding of CAN.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/canada) [Germany](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/germany) [Host nation and a significant contributor to Canadian studies, fostering academic exchange and research.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/germany) [Role in topic](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/germany) [DEU hosts this annual conference, demonstrating a strong academic interest in CAN. German-speaking scholars contribute significantly to the body of knowledge on CAN, facilitating cross-cultural academic dialogue.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/germany) ## Topics & background The background behind each topic and the actors that shape it. 1 ### Canada in International Relations and Geopolitics Canada's foreign policy has long been shaped by its position as a middle power tethered to the United States, anchored in NATO and NORAD, and committed to multilateral institutions it helped build after 1945, including the UN, the Bretton Woods system, and later the G7. Since the end of the Cold War, Ottawa has oscillated between liberal-internationalist activism — peacekeeping, the Ottawa Treaty on landmines, the Responsibility to Protect doctrine — and closer alignment with US security priorities, particularly after 9/11 and the Afghanistan deployment. The Arctic, Indigenous-led diplomacy, and a self-image as an honest broker remain recurring themes. The current period is more turbulent. Relations with China deteriorated sharply after the 2018 Meng Wanzhou affair and the detention of the 'two Michaels,' and have since been compounded by allegations of electoral interference. Ties with India collapsed in 2023 over Ottawa's accusation that Indian agents were involved in the killing of a Canadian Sikh activist. Relations with the United States, Canada's indispensable partner, have become unpredictable under renewed tariff threats and disputes over border and defence spending. Meanwhile, Canada is recalibrating in the Indo-Pacific, deepening transatlantic ties through CETA and NATO's eastern flank, and reasserting Arctic sovereignty as Russia and China expand polar interests. The committee should examine how a mid-sized, trade-dependent democracy navigates great-power competition, defends a rules-based order it can no longer take for granted, and balances continental integration with diversification toward Europe and the Indo-Pacific. Key players - [Canada](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/canada) [Subject state recalibrating its middle-power posture amid global realignment.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/canada) - [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [Indispensable ally and largest trading partner, source of both security guarantees and political volatility.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) - [China](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) [Strategic competitor; focal point of interference, trade, and Indo-Pacific concerns.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) - [Russia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) [Arctic neighbour and adversary in NATO's eastern flank deterrence posture.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) - [India](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/india) [Diaspora-linked partner whose ties collapsed over the Nijjar assassination dispute.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/india) - [Germany](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/germany) [Key European partner for trade (CETA), energy diplomacy, and transatlantic coordination.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/germany) 2 ### Internal Dynamics, Governance, and Political Debates in Canada Canadian federalism is a perennially contested architecture, balancing a strong central government against assertive provinces, a distinct Québec, and constitutionally recognized Indigenous nations. The Constitution Act of 1982, with its Charter of Rights and Freedoms and notwithstanding clause, structures most contemporary debates — from Québec's Bill 21 on secularism, to Alberta's Sovereignty Act and equalization grievances, to Saskatchewan's pushback on federal carbon pricing. Confidence-and-supply arrangements, minority governments, and the shifting fortunes of the Liberals, Conservatives, NDP, Bloc Québécois, and Greens have made parliamentary politics increasingly volatile. Governance debates today are dominated by affordability and housing pressures, immigration levels that the federal government has begun to scale back after record post-pandemic intakes, healthcare strain, and the politics of climate policy — including the contested consumer carbon levy and major energy and critical-minerals projects. Reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples, advanced through UNDRIP implementation legislation and the 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action, remains uneven, with disputes over land, policing, child welfare, and resource consent. Concerns about foreign interference, online harms legislation, and trust in public institutions further shape the political climate. Delegates should assess how Canadian institutions absorb regional, linguistic, and Indigenous pluralism while responding to populist currents, polarization, and an economic model under stress. Key players - [Canada](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/canada) [Federal state managing intergovernmental, Indigenous, and partisan tensions.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/canada) - [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [External reference point shaping economic, migration, and culture-war spillovers.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) - [United Kingdom](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-kingdom) [Constitutional and parliamentary template; monarch remains head of state.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-kingdom) - [France](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/france) [Cultural and institutional reference for Québec and francophone governance debates.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/france) 3 ### History, Memory, and Identity in Canada Canadian identity has been continuously rewritten around competing foundational narratives: Indigenous presence stretching back millennia; French colonization from 1608 and the British Conquest of 1763; Confederation in 1867; westward expansion at the expense of Indigenous and Métis nations; and waves of immigration that turned the country into one of the most diverse in the world. The Quiet Revolution in 1960s Québec, the patriation of the Constitution in 1982 without Québec's signature, and the failed Meech Lake and Charlottetown accords entrenched a politics of recognition that still structures memory debates. Since the 1990s, public memory has been reshaped by reckonings with the residential school system, formally apologized for in 2008, and given new urgency by the 2021 confirmation of unmarked graves at former school sites. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and disputes over statues, place names, and curricula have made historical justice a live political question. Multiculturalism, enshrined in policy since 1971, coexists uneasily with Québec's interculturalism and with debates over religious symbols, francophone minority rights outside Québec, and the place of Black Canadian and immigrant histories. The committee will engage how a settler-colonial federation negotiates plural pasts: whose memory becomes national memory, how reconciliation translates into institutional change, and how identity is contested across linguistic, Indigenous, and diasporic lines. Key players - [Canada](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/canada) [State engaged in reconciliation, official bilingualism, and multicultural identity policy.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/canada) - [United Kingdom](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-kingdom) [Former imperial power whose colonial legacy structures legal and memorial debates.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-kingdom) - [France](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/france) [Source of francophone heritage central to Québécois identity and memory.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/france) - [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [Constant cultural counterpoint against which Canadian distinctiveness is articulated.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) 4 ### Cultures, Literatures, Media, and Social Imaginaries of Canada Canadian cultural policy has long been built around the problem of producing a distinct public sphere alongside the United States. Institutions such as the CBC/Radio-Canada (1936), the National Film Board (1939), the Canada Council for the Arts (1957), and the CRTC's Canadian-content rules emerged to defend domestic voices in broadcasting, film, and publishing. A national literary canon — from Margaret Atwood, Alice Munro, and Michael Ondaatje to Gabrielle Roy, Michel Tremblay, and Dany Laferrière — has been complemented by a powerful surge of Indigenous writing (Thomas King, Tomson Highway, Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, Joshua Whitehead) that reframes settler narratives. The digital era has destabilized these arrangements. The Online Streaming Act (Bill C-11, 2023) extended Canadian-content obligations to global platforms, while the Online News Act (Bill C-18) triggered Meta's decision to block Canadian news on Facebook and Instagram, with significant consequences for local journalism. Québec's cultural industries, francophone minorities, and Indigenous-language media navigate platform economies that privilege English-language, US-centred content. Meanwhile, social imaginaries are being reshaped by debates over immigration, decolonization, climate anxiety, and the role of public broadcasting in a polarized information environment. Delegates should consider how cultural sovereignty, linguistic duality, Indigenous self-representation, and platform regulation interact — and what models Canada offers, or fails to offer, to other mid-sized democracies facing similar pressures. Key players - [Canada](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/canada) [Regulator and funder of a bilingual, multicultural, and Indigenous-inclusive cultural sphere.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/canada) - [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [Dominant cultural exporter and host of the platforms shaping Canadian media markets.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) - [France](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/france) [Partner in francophone cultural production and co-production agreements.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/france) - [United Kingdom](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-kingdom) [Anglophone literary and broadcasting reference point, including BBC-CBC ties.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-kingdom) - [Germany](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/germany) [Major European market for Canadian literature, film, and Canadian Studies scholarship.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/germany) ## Resources News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for 48th Annual Conference of the Association for Canadian Studies in German‑speaking Countries. Recent reporting to ground your prep [West Bengal Voter Deletion Crisis 2026](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/west-bengal-voter-deletion-crisis-ahead-of-2026-assembly-elections) [West Bengal Voter Deletion Crisis](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/west-bengal-voter-deletion-crisis-27-million-affected-ahead-of-polls) [Delimitation Based on 2011 Census](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/delimitation-based-on-2011-census-indias-political-shift) [Supreme Court Upholds Election Commission Dis](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/supreme-court-keeps-election-commission-control-fight-alive) Lessons Bite-sized lessons to build the basics [Gender Dynamics Across Cultures](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/lessons/gender-dynamics-across-cultures) [Hidden Stakeholders](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/lessons/hidden-stakeholders) [Engagement Strategies](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/lessons/engagement-strategies) [Dynamic Analysis](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/lessons/dynamic-analysis) Courses Guided courses that go deeper on the topic [Media & Press Relations](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/courses/media-press) [Advanced Negotiation](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/courses/advanced-negotiation) [Multilateral Negotiation](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/courses/multilateral-negotiation) [Policy Brief Writing](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/courses/policy-brief) The states in play, with the data that shapes their stance [Germany](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/germany) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/germany) [Canada](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/canada) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/canada) [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [China](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) [Russia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) [India](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/india) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/india) [United Kingdom](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-kingdom) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-kingdom) [France](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/france) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/france) ## Frequently asked questions - - - Free account Save conferences, research any topic with AI, build position papers, and keep your daily prep streak — free. 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